The Umatilla Bridge was opened to public traffic on April 15, 1955. This bridge of steel cantilever is the state’s easternmost bridge to link Oregon with Washington, and is responsible for Interstate 82 near Plymouth, Washington, Benton County, to Umatilla County in Oregon.
The bridge is found on west side of the McNary Dam and just a little further west from the area where the Columbia turns from facing north-south to go west in the direction of the Pacific Ocean.
A segmental bridge of concrete with 2 main spans was built in 1987 and runs parallel to the Umatilla Bridge. Though once dubbed “Surgis Folly”, after Judge James Surgis who was the project’s biggest supporter, the Umatilla Bridge soon became a very important addition to the fast developing agriculture business that was growing in both states and very soon started to earn its keep until it finally paid off its construction and maintenance costs. Ironically, James Surgis later became the Umatilla Bridge’s traffic director. With the support of W.S. Nelson, a McNary Development Association board member, who lobbied the bill which supported the selling of bonds to fund construction of the bridges between the 2 states, the Dallas Bridge was built, followed by the Umatilla-Plymouth Bridge.
